


When Fish Rot

by Ukuleleboy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Background Character Death, Fish, Fluff, Gore, Has a bit of gay in it, M/M, My biology teacher cried at this, Mystery, This is probably super inaccurate on how skin works don't kill me, This made me sad... and I wrote it, Yes this is self indulgent leave me alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 06:33:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21453586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ukuleleboy/pseuds/Ukuleleboy
Summary: Tom and Henry are two young men living in an isolated community of hunters and fishers. One day, their village's water source becomes contaminated with thick sludge as people begin to go missing. Scientists work tirelessly to figure out what's going on and how to stop it.---------------------------------------------------------------"I've never seen anything like it..." Henry said as worry flushed over his face."What are we supposed to do Henry?" Tom replied."...I don't know." Henry hesitated.
Kudos: 1





	1. The Pond

**Author's Note:**

> So this took me a while to write and it's super self-indulgent ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. Have fun, let me know if you had some good cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All my chapters are going to be short but you know what leave me alone

It was a very calm and peaceful Tuesday. The sky was a bright, aquamarine blue, and the Sun shone its rays on the small, quiet and isolated village down below, which was hidden through thick forests and murky waters. Stone houses topped with straw roofs sheltered those who lived in this small community. Their homes were small, but it was enough to get them through harsh winters and sweltering summers. The locals of the village lived routine lives, that which nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. The children played, the women tended to them, and the men worked out in the blazing Sun. Some fished in the dark waters which surrounded the village, and some hunted small game in order to feed their families and support them through winter. Despite the routine nature of their lives, everyone was content. No one ever ventured beyond the forests that boarded the small village; there was no need to. Everyone had a place and a part, and there was never any need for anything else.

As the Sun rose higher into the sky, two young men with fluffy, light-brown hair, began to gather their things in order to prepare for the day’s fishing. They walked out of their small home and into the warm morning weather, around the same time as always. The men walked with each other, as they always had, as they reached the small dock where most men in the village fished.

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it, Tom?”

“It sure is, Henry! Perfect day for fishing,” Tom replied with a smile.

The two young men took their usual positions on the dock, and each threw in their lines in the same two spots as always. They each sat down in silence, taking in the peace and warmth of that quiet morning. Birds sang sweetly from the nearby trees of the thick forest as dragonflies glided near the top of the slow-moving water, looking for a safe place to lay their eggs. Nearby, children could be heard leaving their homes to play with their friends in the village, discussing the games they would play with each other that day. Men said goodbye to their wives as they prepared to travel to the edge of the forest and hunt small, unsuspecting critters, as they did every morning. And women tended to their gardens as they picked ripe vegetables from the ground, considering what to make for the evening meal of that day. Both men sat patiently for any movement of their lines, waiting to reel in a catch. After a few minutes, Tom perked up.

“Looks like I caught somethin’!” He said reeling in his line.

As he slowly pulled the fish towards him, a terrible odor spread through the air, and took both men by surprise.   
“Phew, what in the world is that smell?!” Henry asked as he clenched his nose and gagged slightly.   
“I have no idea,” Tom replied as his face scrunched up. “Maybe a rotten catch?”   
But sure enough, the fish he had caught was still moving and struggling to breathe as he pulled it out of the water. He held it up to his face to inspect the creature he’d caught to figure out what the heck could be wrong with it.  
The fish’s eyes were glazed over and pasty white. Its scales had a vile green tint to them, and the creature’s gills oozed a brown-colored sludge. Its fins seemed way too large for its size, and the fish seemed to bleed from small puncture wounds that covered its body.

“Woah..” Henry said breathless, as he came over to Tom to look at the fish as well. “Something ain’t right with that fish.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Tom replied, his eyes still locked onto the fish’s disfigured body.

“Well, what should we do with it?” Henry asked after a few moments.

“Let’s bury it, it’ll be good food for the grass. It was probably just sick anyway...” Tom decided, though a sense of unease remained in his eyes.

The two men remained at the dock until sundown, soon forgetting the incident that had occurred earlier in the day. As the sun began its descent behind the forest and stars began to appear in the dusk sky, the young men began to walk back to their home. Neither was old enough to marry yet, so they lived together in a small, stone house on the opposite side of the village. Tom and Henry had known each other since they were children and had never left the other’s side. They were well known within the village for their good natures and humorous attitudes. Both bid goodnight to the town’s folk they passed as the men made their way to their home. Fires began to dim in every house, as the village prepared to sleep for the night.

At the crack of dawn, Tom sat up from his bed. The Sun hadn’t fully risen yet, but most of the village would already be up and beginning their routine days. He stretched for a moment, his back sore from his rough bed, and then stood up, preparing to gather his things for another day of fishing. Tom heard Henry stir and get up from his bed as well in the other room, as their home was so small that it wasn’t difficult to decipher what each of them were doing around the house during the day. The two men dressed, ate, and gathered their gear in order to begin their daily regiment. They stepped outside of their house and were greeted by the warm rays of the Sun. The grass was coated in a small layer of dew from the humid night, and birds could be heard chirping as they scampered on the ground, looking for food to feed their young.

“Another nice day, isn’t it?” Henry asked after basking in the peace of the morning.

“Yeah, it sure is Hen-”

Tom was quickly cut off by the wailing of a woman that could be heard throughout the entire village. It was filled with utter distress and agony, and it was sharp enough to break glass. Surprise and concern washed over both men as the color drained from their faces. Nothing like this was ever heard in the village before.

“What the heck was that?!”

“I don’t know, Tom, but we need to check it out.”

Both men began to quickly trot over to the source of the noise. Once they reached the center of the town, a small crowd of villagers was seen surrounding a familiar home within the village.

“Wait, that’s Mrs. Becky’s house!” Tom pointed out.

Mrs. Becky was a kind, middle-aged woman who was known by everyone in the village. Although she had a husband, she was never able to birth children, so she spent the time when her husband was away baking sweets and reading books to those who often felt lonely as well.  
Crying could be heard from within the small cottage and murmurs spread throughout the crowd.

“...husband hasn’t come back…”  
“...he’d been fishing…”  
“...two days...”  
“...went missing, she said…”

“Did you hear that, Henry?” Tom whispered.

“Yeah, yeah I did…” Henry replied, a stern look plastered on his face.

The worst thing that had ever happened in their quiet village was someone had stolen two apples from the food market they had every week. But that’s it. Nothing of this magnitude had ever even come close to happening. For someone to go missing? That was unthinkable.

“W-what should we do?” Tom asked him.

“I don’t know if there’s anything we can do.” Henry replied, a sense of unease in his eyes.

There was a moment of silence between the two men, as the sounds of murmuring and wailing continued.

“We need to go to the dock.” Henry finally said.

“What? You still want to go fishing?” Tom asked.

“I’ll explain, but I need to check something at the dock. Come on, let’s go.”

Tom and Henry made their way over to the dock in a hurry. Henry promptly took out his fishing pole, latched some bait onto it, and slung the line into the water. After a few moments of silence, something had caught onto it. Henry quickly reeled back the line, anticipation in his eyes.

He pulled up the line to his face, staring at the creature he’d caught. It was a fish, of course, but the fish’s eyes were, again, glazed over and it’s gills oozed a familiar brown-sludge. Worry washed over Henry’s face as he showed the disfigured fish to Tom. He gave a small gasp in surprise.

“That looks like what I caught yesterday…” Tom said, confusion in his voice.

“Exactly.” Henry replied.

Without another word, he stuck more bait on the hook, and threw it again into the water. After a few more moments, another fish had caught onto the line. Henry repeated the process four more times, and each time he pulled out a fish, it had the same sick, mutated look. Henry looked up to Tom, concern in his face.

“Something’s wrong Tom, I’ve never seen anything like this…”

“What’s going on? This isn’t like a normal sickness. It’s almost as if something’s…attacking them or something.” Tom replied.

“Maybe… But I don’t know what to do. Without fish, the village could starve!”

“Well, there’s gotta be something we can do!”

  
Both men fell silent. Neither of them had any idea about what was going on or how to fix it, and a sense of panic began to settle over them.  
After a while, they began walking home, as the Sun had started its descent into the horizon. Both stayed silent through the trip back, deep in contemplation of what to do. The night air was cool and soothing however, and it seemed as the commotion of the morning’s events had mostly dissipated. Though friends of Mrs. Becky checked on her and comforted her throughout the day, a faint sense of unease remained within the village. However, soon enough, night fell and the village became silent as it slept.


	2. Diving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop it's sad times

The sound of crying echoed throughout the village before the Sun even had a chance to rise. Tom and Henry bolted up in their beds, confused at the sudden sobbing. At first, they simply assumed that it was Mrs. Becky, as she was still understandably distressed about her husband’s disappearance. However, as Henry glanced out their window, townsfolk were seen peering out of their homes, just as confused as they were about the crying. Tom and Henry quickly dressed and left their homes, walking to the new source of the bawling. Towards the end of the village, a small house emanated the wails and whimpers of a familiar young woman.  
A few people were standing at her door by the time Tom and Henry arrived, a few asking her about what had caused her to burst into tears. Both men listened closely to her distressed explanation.

“My-my son… He went out to swim y-yesterday, a-and he hadn’t come home! He-he’s only eight, and no one knows where h-he is!” She paused as she sobbed into her arms, unable to speak anymore.

The woman, Wendy, was the quiet, reserved wife to Huck, the village’s most successful hunter. She was known to keep to herself, and rarely left her small stone cottage. Her son, Baron, on the other hand, was quite a contrast. He was often seen pulling good-natured pranks on the various townsfolk who lived there, and would often wind up in trouble along his friends. Despite that, he was a good kid, and everyone within the village had a peculiar fondness for him.  
Tom’s heart skipped a beat as he processed what the woman had said. On some off days, when the fish were less plentiful and there was no real point to try and catch them, Tom often went to play with the local children of the village. He’d never had a sibling of any kind growing up, so he enjoyed the times he was able to support and play games with the energetic tykes of their town. He felt protective over them, like he was their uncertified guardian. To hear that Baron had gone missing too, it was nearly too much to bare.  
Tom looked up to Henry’s face, who was still listening intently to those who were talking to the distressed woman.

“Henry, quick, we have to get to the dock!” Tom said as he began to tread towards the direction of the lake. Henry grasped onto his arm before he walked out of reach.

“Woah, wait a second, Tom. We can’t just go look for him!” Henry said as he tried to reason with him.

“Why not?!” He replied angrily.

“We have no idea what’s out there! Think about it, first Mrs. Becky’s husband, then the fish, and now this kid. Do you really think it’s a coincidence? What if something happens to you next?”

Henry clutched Tom’s shoulders tightly before relinquishing his grip.  
Tom took in a deep breath.

“Alright, Henry... I won’t do anything crazy, but we have to do something.”

Henry didn’t respond as he pondered about what may’ve been causing these horrible occurrences. After a few moments, he perked up.

“That’s it!” He said in excitement as he pounded his fist into his hand.

“What?” Tom asked in confusion.

“Look, Tom, something bad’s obviously been going on. But what do all of these incidents have in common?”

Tom thought about his question for a moment before he perked up.

“They all happened around the lake?”

“Exactly. Now let’s get our nets.”

Without another word, the two men sped off to their home. Every man who lived within the village had two nets. One for ordinary ensnaring and fishing, and one for protection. It was usually large and could pin down any animal, or human, of which weighed less than 300 pounds, not like that kind of protection was ever really needed in their quiet town.  
They reached their house, grabbed their protective nets, and dashed off to their usual fishing spot. Tom and Henry reached the dock shortly, both men out of breath from having rushed so quickly. After resting for a few moments, they both walked over to the edge of the lake they were so familiar with, clutching their nets tightly to their chests in case they were needed. Henry scanned the surface of the water, something he’d done hundreds of times when they went out fishing. He gagged as he processed what he saw.  
The water was no longer the rich, deep royal blue it had always been. The Sun’s rays no longer glimmered on the surface of the lake. Fish no longer swam happily underneath the warm water that had inhabited the dock. Now, the water was a dark, sickening brown. Sludge coated the surface of the once shimmery lake, and the corpses of dead, decaying fish floated on top of the water. The putrid smell of it all was enough to make anyone who came near it gag.

“Oh my god!” Tom yelled in surprise. “What happened?!”

“I have no idea.” Henry’s voice shook as he replied. “This is really bad!”

The two men sat down in silence, breathing in the musty air and taking in the horrid scene they’d witnessed. Both were at a complete loss of what to do. They’d never seen anything like this happen within their village, no record of something this disastrous happening had ever been taken. Even the birds seemed to feel as hopeless as they did, as they stayed silent and solemn within the trees. Tom and Henry took in a collective sigh, the heavy air weighing on their tongues.  
After a few more moments of silence, Tom’s ears perked up. He’d suddenly heard a noise that had, until then, stayed dormant and in the background, undetected by either of their ears.  
It was the sound of water trickling down a stream.  
Tom jolted up and looked into Henry’s eyes.

“Hey, Henry, what about the Trench?”

Not far from where the bank of the lake ended was the edge of the forest, where the village trappers often hunted small game. No one had ever wandered past the edge, for all anyone knew, it meant certain death. Besides, there was never any reason to go beyond the boundaries of the village anyway, as everyone lived simple, content lives there. However, one small detail of their town was shrouded in mystery. Every citizen knew of it, yet no one knew its origins, or what it meant. From a single point at the edge of the lake, a small stream of water branched out and ran straight through the forest. It was thusly dubbed the “Trench,” as it reminded hunters of the trenches they’d use to catch rabbits on cold, snowy days. While there were rumors of where the Trench went or what would happen if you followed it, mostly spread by the tykes of the village, no one ever dared to go near it, much less follow its path.

“What? Woah, Tom, are you even hearing yourself? You know we can’t do that!”

“Why not? Look, Henry, this may be our only option. What else can we do?”

“Look, Tom, no one has ever been in there. No one ever leaves the village, you know that!”

“I know, Henry. But the fish are dying, people are missing, and everyone is scared. The Trench may be our only way to figuring out what’s going on!”

“Well, what if something happens? What if the rumors are true? What if you don’t come back?!”

Henry’s voice cracked at the last word as small tears welled up in his eyes. Tom stared at him, not knowing what to say. He took a few steps toward Henry, and embraced him in a tight hug.

“Hey, it’s alright… it’s alright.”

He stood there in silence as he held his friend tightly. After a moment, he spoke.

“Look Henry, why don’t we sleep on it? Forget what I said before, let’s think about what to do tomorrow, okay?”

“Alright, Tom.” He responded after a moment with a shaky breath.

With that, the brunettes began to walk home as the sky darkened and the Sun descended in the sky

It was around midnight when Tom sat up in his bed and began to prepare for his journey. He took out his warmest clothes and his most durable shoes. Tom had no idea what the forest would be like, so he prepared for the worst. He grabbed a spare cloth bag that he and Henry used to hold the fish they’d catch during the day. He stuffed a thick blanket and his trusty fishing-pole inside of it. He took half of the fish jerky that he and Henry had been preparing for the past couple of days, as he knew it wouldn’t go bad, and threw it into his bag as well. Lastly, he grabbed his protective net. Just as Tom was packing away the last of his supplies, he heard the door to Henry’s bedroom creak open. His heart froze as he heard soft footsteps head over to where he was standing near the front door of their house. Tom didn’t want Henry to know what he was doing. He silently opened the door, and just as he was about to slip outside…

“Tom? Where are you going?...”

Henry looked at the stuffed supply bag that Tom clutched in his hand. His eyes darted to the durable, winter clothes he was wearing, and then to the protective net that slung over his shoulder.

“Henry, I-”

Before he could explain himself, Tom was quickly cut off by Henry’s sharp breath.

“Don’t move.” He said.

Without another word, he walked straight back to his room. Tom’s stomach dropped at the thought of how mad Henry surely was. A few moments later, he walked back out of his room, fully dressed in the same kind of clothes that Tom wore. Henry walked straight into their kitchen, stuffed the rest of the fish jerky in his carrier bag, and slung his own protection net over his shoulder in one swift movement. He walked straight up to Tom, a stern look plastered on his face.

“But Henry, I thought-”

“Look Tom, I know what I said, but I can’t let you go in there alone. I just…”

Henry took in a deep, long sign. He looked out into the partially open door, out into the dewy grass which shimmered under the moon-lit sky. He gazed at the silent cottages of their village peacefully sleeping. He thought of bright summer days he spent with Tom, playing with the young children of the town. He thought of the times he pushed Tom into the lake they fished in on those warm spring evenings, only to be dragged into the water too, laughing and struggling to get back up. And he thought of those few moments he grabbed Tom’s hand and held it tight as they watched the Sun lower in the sky and light up the clouds with brilliant pinks and oranges.  
Henry looked back at Tom, letting out the breath he held in.

“Come on, let’s go.”

The two men walked silently through the village. No one was ever out past sunset, and they’d be questioned if they were caught. So they slipped passed cottages and stone houses quietly as they headed towards the fishing dock they were so familiar with. They reached the edge of the contaminated lake, where the moonlight was completely blocked out by the dark sludge that coated the water’s surface. Nearby, the soft trickling of a stream could be heard.

“Alright Tom, what do we do now?”

“Well, I guess we’ll have to swim across?”

“What?! In there? Are you kidding??”

“Well, you gotta better idea?”

Henry darted his eyes around the dock, desperately looking for anything to use to cross the horribly disgusting lake that was in front of him. Coming up with nothing, he sighed.

“Ugh, fine… But we have to be smart about this. We have no idea what’s in that water, check for any cuts and make sure none of that sludge can get inside of you.”

“Alight, alright.”

Both Tom and Henry took a moment to check up and down their legs, arms, torsos, and backs. They checked every inch of skin they had, they couldn’t be too careful.

“Oh, shoot…” Tom muttered under his breath.

“What’s wrong?” Henry asked, concern in his voice

“I still have that cut on my leg from when we went fishing a week ago. It still hasn’t healed…”

Henry’s face went a bit pale as he heard what Tom had said.

“You’re not going in that water, Tom.”

“What? Hold on, you can’t make me stay behind just because of a small cut!”

“You don’t know what that water could do, Tom! Two people went missing when they went near it. Someone could happen to you if it touches that cut!”

“Look Henry, I know you’re worried, but we’ve been near this water for that past couple of days, and nothing’s happened. I can’t let you go in alone, I have to help fix this!”

“Tom, what if something happens?”

“I’ll be fine, I promise Henry.”

Henry glared at Tom, still unconvinced. Though knowing that he wouldn’t be able to convince Tom to stay behind, he gave in.

“Fine, Tom. You can come. But seriously, if anything happens, I’ll freaking kill you.”

“Alright Henry, you got it.” Tom replied with a slight chuckle.

With that, the brunettes walked over to the edge of the dock, and climbed into the water.  
The water felt sharp against their skin, as it was well below the temperature it should’ve been during that time of year. It smelled of rotten fish and mud, as if something had died and had been decomposing for weeks. The two men gagged and struggled to breathe as they slowly swam across the thick, sludge-filled lake. After a while, they both reached the other side, and climbed out of the horrific water that they swam in.  
They both kneeled on the ground, coughing up the toxic air they had breathed in. Their clothes were completely soaked and coated in a layer of mud. They smelled absolutely putrid.

“Oh god, that was horrible.” Tom said with a shaky breath.

“Yeah, no kidding.” Henry replied, still gagging from the smell.

Tom turned his head towards the direction of the stream, and sighed out of relief.

“Well, hey, at least we made it.” He said with a slight smirk.

He grabbed Henry’s arm and pulled him over to the running water, that which ran straight through the thick, dark forest in front of them. They both stared into the underbrush which coated the bottom of the hundreds of slender trees before them. A chill ran down their spines as wind rustled the leaves within the tree branches. Both took in a deep breath, preparing themselves for what may lay ahead of them. Tom looked at Henry.

“You ready?” He asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” Henry replied.

With that, they stepped foot into the treeline and began to follow the sound of the Trench.


	3. Thick Sludge, Thick Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes these characters are 100% a reference to The Mysterious case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde I love themm

It was a normal Wednesday for Dr. Jekyll. The rain poured outside without a break, though the soft _ pittering _of the drops on the window of his laboratory helped calm his nerves. Dr. Jekyll was working as a cancer researcher, in a local disease control center, on a grand great quest to cure cancer, as any scientist would hope to do. He’d been observing the reproduction of cells from a cancerous tumor from under a microscope, going over the repetition in his mind: the cell would replicate its DNA, then make a mistake, then split apart, and ultimately aid in the creation of the tumor. He mused at the sight of small chromosomes forming into pairs.

_ What happens if one is left alone? _ He thought.

_ Perhaps it remains lonely for the rest of its life because it wasn’t appealing enough to the other chromosomes? _ He responded to his own question.

_ Well that’s an awfully sad life, isn’t it? _

Realizing that it was a bit strange to have such a silly conversation with himself, he ceased his thoughts and went back to his observations.

That’s when his lab partner, Dr. Hyde, burst into his quiet lab room.

“James! James, come quickly! It’s an emergency!”

“What?”

“Follow me, I’ll explain on the way!”

Dr. Jekyll jolted up from his chair, processing the panic in his partner’s voice, and followed him down the hall towards their main conference room.

“What’s going on, George?” He asked.

“Well, there’s been reports of… well, we’re not so sure what they are, but these creatures of sorts have been terrorizing a nearby village. They’ve been reported as being human like, with gills that ooze a putrid sludge. We need to hurry!”

“Wait, what?? Surely you can’t be serious?” Dr. Jekyll asked, presuming this must have been some sort of prank.

“I assure you, James, no one has seen anything like this…”

Dr. Jekyll heard the seriousness of his partner’s voice, and understood that this was far worse than the usual disease outbreaks that he dealt with regularly. 

Both men burst into the conference room, where those who worked within the same research facility were frantically trying to figure out what was happening and what to do.

“...never seen anything like this!”

“...are getting infected!”

“What can we do??”

“...come up with a plan!”

“Where did they come...”

Dr. Jekyll listened to the panicked mutterings of his coworkers as he felt the urgency of their situation. Feeling lost in what was happening, he perked up.

“Would anyone care to tell me what’s going on??” He yelled into the conference room.

Silence fell as everyone looked towards to the source of the question, in which a woman near him responded.

“Dr Jekyll, thank goodness you’re here! Please take a seat.”

He promptly grabbed the nearest seat to him and pulled up to the table in the middle of the room.

“Reports had come in from a nearby village of some sort of attack.” She explained.

“Yes, yes, Dr. Hyde has already relayed that to me.” Dr. Jekyll responded.

“Yes, well, we don’t exactly know what _ caused _ this attack. People have reported them as being human-like, but disfigured with sludge oozing out of small puncture wounds seen on their bodies. We have no idea what these things are!”

“Alright, go on.” He urged her.

“Well, what’s worse, is that they’re _ infecting _ people. We’re not sure what’s going on, but apparently, those who’ve been attacked by these creatures have lost all cognitive intelligence. They’ve begun attacking others as well, and ooze the same sludge as the creatures have!”

The color drained from Dr. Jekyll’s face as he processed this new information.

“Could it be a parasyte perhaps?” He asked her.

“We don’t know, Dr. Jekyll.”

Dr. Jekyll promptly jolted up from his chair as the rest of the room remained silent.

“We need to get down there and investigate pronto, before anything else happens. Quickly, let’s move out!” He commanded.

So a small team of scientists, led by Dr. Jekyll, grabbed their standard hazmat suits and suited up. They all retrieved their handheld blowtorches, which were usually used for experiments, and hooked them onto their suits. The team then got into their emergency vehicles and sped off to the nearby village as quickly as possible.

When they arrived, they all jolted out of the vehicles and ran through the entrance of the town. Dr. Jekyll let out a small gasp as he processed what he saw.

Grotesque brown sludge coated large patches of the ground. Children were sprawled onto the ground, large gashes on their bodies oozed blood, as more of that sludge covered their faces. Men and women were seen next to them, huddled together as they cried out in pain. Their clothes were slashed, and blood poured from their wounds. Some groaned, some wailed, and some didn’t move.

Dr. Jekyll had dealt with nearly every kind of disease and outbreak imaginable. Hyperthermia, Meningitis, Tuberculosis, he’d seen it all. He’d dealt with death before, and was used to the sight of it by now. But this… this was something he’d never seen before. He felt sick to his stomach as beads of sweat formed on his face. His breathing intensified and his heart pounded against his rib cage. He heard one of the scientists with him whisper, “Oh god…”

Dr. Jekyll immediately ran over to a small child whose body was coated in small puncture wounds. The child laid sprawled on the ground, and their lungs seemed to have stopped working. He placed two fingers on the child’s neck and check for a pulse. His own heart skipped a beat as he felt no pulse in the child’s body. 

His team of scientists spread out and checked the bodies of those who laid motionless. Of those left in the village, only five adults and two children had survived, though they were in critical condition. After checking on everyone in the village, the team called for several ambulances. 

“We need to get these bodies back to the lab, let’s move out!” Dr. Jekyll called out to his team, a slight shake in his voice.


	4. Meanwhile...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know it's really short shhhh

It had been about half a day since Tom and Henry had first stepped first inside the forest. Though it was difficult to tell, due to the thick leaves within the tall trees, they knew it was around midday at that point. They continued following the Trench through the twists and curves in took them through.

Throughout the forest, they were exposed to animals and plants they’d never seen before. They spotted a large, fuzzy, brown-furred creature picking at a wild berry bush as they walked along the stream. Both men marveled at its sheer size and its seemingly peaceful nature. Further along the Trench, they saw two small and bushy-tailed orange animals frolicking and playing with one another as they stopped to eat a bit of the jerky they brought with them on their journey. They admired the creatures’ playful nature as they continued on their path.

“Hey,Tom?”

“Yeah?”

“What exactly are we looking for, in the forest?”

“Well, uh, I sort of assumed that whatever is causing the fish to die would have this ‘sick’ look to it, I guess. And that maybe it’s connected to the Trench somehow.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

The two men continued walking along the stream in silence, as neither of them had anything in particular to say to each other.

“Ow!” Tom exclaimed out of nowhere, breaking the silence.

“What, what’s wrong?” Henry asked, concern in his voice.

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing. I just pricked my arm on a branch, is all.”

“Well, alright…” Henry replied, still suspicious of whatever made him yell in pain.

As Henry turned his head away from Tom, he brought out his hand and closely examined it. The same foot that displayed a clean cut as they swam in that rancid water was now swollen and inflamed. It throbbed as blood pumped from his heart into his hand, and the cut leaked a grotesque brown liquid. Though concerned, he didn’t want Henry to know that anything was wrong, so he wiped his foot off on his pants and kept it out of sight.


	5. Rising Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never said the word "cells" so many times before

Dr. Jekyll and his team were back at their lab, as they dressed in surgical masks and prepared to examine the body of one of the villagers who’d died in the recent attack on their town.

The villager was a young man, no older than twenty or so. His body was covered in familiar puncture wounds, and bite marks ran across his stomach. As the other scientists prepared to perform a small autopsy to determine what exactly had killed the young man, Dr. Jekyll prepared a skin sample he’d taken from the patient for examination. He took the skin sample, and slid it under his microscope. As he looked through the lens, his jaw dropped as he processed what he saw.

There were, of course, normal skin cells. However, there seemed to be something else, alongside them. They appeared like normal skin cells, however, seemingly mutated, their shape warped and their organelles distorted. Worse, these “cells” began to engulf the healthy ones, fusing together, as if they were a virus.

Dr. Jekyll jolted his face from the microscope in shock.

_ What is this? _He thought as panic set in.

He immediately grabbed a nearby pen and scribbled down what he saw, as he attempted to record his findings. As he turned around and began to walk back to his team to share what he’d seen, Dr. Jekyll heard a collective of screams coming from the autopsy room.

His face turned pale as he sprinted into the room to see what had happened.

“What’s going on?” He yelled, searching the room for the source of distress.

He turned his head towards the autopsy table as his heart skipped a beat.

The young man’s body that they’d been examining was suddenly moving. His arms squirmed and vibrated as if they’d been struck by lightning, and the man’s incisions suddenly began to ooze brown muck. Dr. Jekyll felt sick to his stomach as his team began to panic, not knowing what to do. 

The man’s head jerked violently to its side, as his body jolted up from the mental table it laid on. His skin took on a sickly green tint as his eyes shot open, white and glazed over.

The body rolled over and fell onto the floor with a loud _ thud _ as it immediately began to claw its way toward Dr. Jekyll and his team.

“Everyone, out, now!” He yelled.

They all ran out of the room and bolted the metal door behind them. The body could still be heard from the other side, struggling to move on its own.

Dr. Jekyll’s breath intensified, as everyone was completely shaken by what had just happened.

As everyone took a moment to calm their nerves, Dr. Hyde, who’d stayed towards the back of the group, spoke up.

“What the hell are we going to do now?” He asked.

No one answered, as no one knew what would come next.


	6. Oh Deer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Add two cups of flour, a half cup of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, and just a hint of gay

It had turned to nighttime by the time either of them saw a sign that they were close to whatever they were searching for. Tom and Henry continued following the Trench, though it proved more difficult the farther they traveled, when they had spotted more animals that they’d never encountered before. They’d been searching for a place to rest for the night when they saw a new animal near the path. It’s coat was a light-brown, and its neck was elongated as it held a small, puffy tail at its back. Small horns poked out from its head as its white-tipped ears twisted, listening for predators nearby.

They stumbled upon the creature as it seemed to be peacefully drinking water from the Trench. Both were startled by its presence at first, but then became curious about its nature, as it was something they’d never seen before. Until the animal looked up.

As Tom and Henry walked closer to the critter, it stopped drinking as it heard the soft  _ thuds _ of their footsteps. Both of their hearts skipped a beat as the animal slowly brought its head from the river to look at them.

Its eyes were pasty white and bloodshot. Foam dripped from its mouth, as brown sludge dribbled from its nostrils. The creature’s body had been slashed by something, leaving long, bloody cuts on the underside of its body.

“Woah…” Tom gasped as he saw the true nature of the animal.

“Looks like somethin’ got at it.” Henry pointed out.

But both were familiar enough with its mutated look to know what it meant.

As they walked closer, the animal perked up and trotted away, perceiving them to be dangerous.

“Well, it looks like we’re getting closer to whatever is causing this.” Tom said after a moment.

“Yeah, that’s… that’s good.” Henry responded, not sure whether to be relieved or worried.

The brunettes continued alongside the stream as they searched for a place to rest for the night.

After walking for a few more minutes, they discovered a large tree with roots thick enough to support both of them. They decided to sleep there, as they both laid down at the foot of the trunk.

Tom tried to ease into the ground softly, as his foot began to throb heavily. The pain didn’t ease as he relieve the pressure on it. He began to worry about the cut he had on his leg, remembering the lake water in which he and Henry swam in. However, looking up into Henry’s eyes calmed his nerves, as he felt safe being so close to his friend.

Silence fell between them as they observed the few twinkling stars that were out that night. Small crickets chirped nearby, and the rustling of the leaves created a peaceful ambiance within the forest. After a moment, Tom spoke up and broke the quiet.

“Hey, Henry?”

“Yeah?”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Tom.”

And with that, Tom slowly slid his head onto Henry’s shoulders and promptly fell asleep.


	7. Ripped From Its Roots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's been merged with another one since it was originally *too* short don't come after me

After Dr. Jekyll and his team had locked the autopsy room, they took a step back from the door.

“There…” He said, still a bit exasperated from the previous event. “That should hold it…”

After a moment of silence passed over as they all caught their breaths, Dr. Jekyll stepped back over to his microscope. He looked through the lens once again to verify what he’d seen before.

He gulped as his observations were confirmed. He lifted his head and looked back at his team, who were all awaiting his instruction.

He beckoned everyone else to his microscope as he began to explain what what happening.

“This virus, or whatever it is, is somehow fusing and taking over any normal cell it comes across. It’s almost like some sort of parasite, or cancer, or a hivemind of some kind...” Dr. Jekyll explained as each member of his team looked through the microscope lens and saw what was going on.

It seemed as though the entire team collectively turned pale as they processed what they saw.

“So, what do we do, James?” Dr. Hyde asked.

Dr. Jekyll looked up to him after a moment of silence, a stern look plastered on his face.

“We have to find a way to stop this. Those creatures are still out there, and there’ll be more… Let’s get to work!” He yelled out to his team.

The team immediately retrieved their lab coats and ran to their stations as they pulled out their tools and began to work.

* * *

It had been about midday by the time Tom and Henry had found what they were looking for. They’d finished their supply of fish jerky, and had run out of clean water to drink. They’d began to get desperate for supplies within their unknown environment, when suddenly, the water in the Trench began to slow. At first, it scared them, as they thought they’d reached the end of the stream, with nowhere left to go. 

But as they continued following the running water, as it slowly came to a stop, they walked upon a very small and overt pond, with a single plant growing in the middle of it, swaying in the wind. Stranger, a short fishing pole laid peacefully near the water.

“Woah, what’s that Henry?”

“I don’t know.” He responded.

The two brunettes walked through the foliage and toward the miniscule pond. They noticed that there didn’t seem to be any fish within the water, which was strange considering that it was attached to a running stream.

As they edged closer, they were caught off guard by a terrible, but familiar smell. Henry gagged as the scent attacked his nostrils. 

“Gross, that’s nasty!” Tom exclaimed.

“Come on, let’s just get through this.” Henry responded as he thought of the lake they had fished at near the village.

Finally, they’d reached the pond at the very end of the Trench, and what they found wasn’t any better than they expected.

At first glance, the plant that grew from within the middle of the water seemed harmless enough.

But, as they looked closer at the sugar cane-like stalk, they saw how putrid it really was.

The stalk seemed rotten and sick, taking on brownish tint. The bamboo-like segments of the plants were swollen and leaked a thick, dark sludge. The roots that protruded from the bottom of the plant were knobbly and cracked, as if it were skin held against the harsh cold of winter. What Henry and Tom thought was previously wind was worse, the stalk seemed to _ move by itself _. Every couple of seconds, as if it had a heartbeat, the plant seemed to pulse as a small bit of brown sludge emulated from its roots. Everything smelled horrible.

“Holy crap, Henry. This is it, this is what's been causing everything!”

Henry stared at the plant as it continued to pump sludge into the water.

“Yeah… yeah it is.” A serious look plastered itself onto Henry’s face as he responded.

“Well, what do we do now?” Tom asked.

“We kill it.” Henry responded after a moment.

In a split second, he grabbed his protective net from out of there back, slung it over the plant, and began to pull with all of his strength. The plant’s stem creaked under the force as its roots were ripped from the soil. Sludge sprayed out of its stalk as it continued to shatter. Henry pulled at the plant until his fingers blistered. Splinters penetrated his skin as he pulled harder, and the stalk began to give in. With one final tug, the plant flew out of the water and landed next to Henry on the grass. He fell back as the plant released its hold on the soil, and his clothes were covered in brown muck; it seemed as though the plant had died. Yet, as one last effort to ensure its demise, Henry picked up the stalk, grabbed it with both hands, and snapped it against his knee.

As the plant’s fibers cracked and split, Tom yelled out in pain.

He fell to the ground as his leg exploded with agony.

Concern immediately washed over Henry’s face as he dropped the plant and ran over to Tom.

“Tom! Tom, are you okay? What happened?!”

But he merely sat there as he clutched his leg while a few tears streamed down his face.

He pulled up his pant leg to expose the small cut that laid on his skin, swollen and infected. Small red streaks ran from the cut, up through his leg, and towards his torso. It seemed fresh as well, not at all as if Tom had received it weeks ago. His entire leg throbbed.

“Oh god, what is this?...” Henry said breathless, his stomach dropping as he examined Tom’s leg.

Tom could only bite down on his bottom lip as the pain didn’t quell. He looked up at Henry with fear in his eyes.

In desperation, Henry picked him up and carried him in his arms. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to carry Tom back to their village, so he ran straight through the foliage behind the pond.

_ If a fishing pole came from this way, maybe there’ll be people that can help. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tom nooo


	8. Grilled Sludge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit of gory so be wary! Also I know this isn't how skin works but leave me be

Dr. Jekyll and his team spent every moment after the attack testing as many possible cures on the skin sample they had. However, after dozens of tests, nothing seemed to work. The skin sample didn’t seem susceptible to radiation therapy, there was no way to surgically remove all of the diseased cells within the sample, and cryoablation wasn’t effective; nothing the team thought of cured it entirely.

As the team continued their frantic efforts, Dr. Jekyll sat at his desk and continued looking through the microscope at the skin sample he had. He banged his head on the table, racking his brain for something, anything that could put a stop to this. He pulled at his hair in frustration, not being able to come up with anything. 

Dr. Jekyll ran over to the testing lab where the rest of his team resided. Everyone seemed panicked, testing and retesting everything they could think of. He could see the sweat pouring from Dr. Hyde’s brow as he looked over the results from his previous test.

“Anything?” Dr. Jekyll asked him as he walked up to his station.

“No, James. Nothing.” He answered grimly.

Dr. Jekyll’s heart skipped a beat as he walked to the rest of the team, asking if any test had come back positive. Their solemn faces answered his question.

He’d gone back to Dr. Hyde’s station to discuss other possible cures before returning to his own lab.

“What else can we do George?” Dr. Jekyll asked him.

“Well, we haven’t tried Chemo yet, though I doubt it would be effective. And targeted therapy is still on the table…”

But as Dr. Hyde continued listing off the few options they had left, Dr. Jekyll’s gaze landed on the small, metallic blow torch that stood on his partner’s desk.

“...James, are you listening?”

“What? Oh, no, sorry. But listen, George, have you tested any hyperthermo treatment yet?”

“No, we didn’t think it would be effective, but I suppose it’d be good to try-”

Though before Dr. Hyde could finish his sentence, Dr. Jekyll grasped the hand-held blow torch off of his partner’s desk and ran into his lab.

He immediately brought up the last bit of the skin sample he had and sliced it in half as he placed it on a metal tray. He grabbed protective goggles, slid them over his eyes, and turned on the blow-torched. Dr. Jekyll began to sear one of the halves of his skin sample until it was heated. After a moment of blazing the sample, he killed the heat and examined the sample under a microscope.

It seemed as though the infection has stopped. While the skin sample was mostly dead, the only surviving cells were healthy and uninfected; the diseased cells had been completely obliterated.

Dr. Jekyll stood back in shock and excitement. He was doubtful of how effective the treatment would be, but it worked! The virus was gone.

He checked back on the other half of the skin sample, and sure enough, the virus was well and alive, multiplying at an alarming rate.

Dr. Jekyll took the remaining sample and set it onto the metal tray he had. Once again, he blasted the skin enough to heat it. After a few moments, he turned off the blow-torch and stared at the sample. As he did with his previous test, he took this sample and placed it under the microscope. Just as before, the virus was dead, leaving only healthy cells behind.

Without hesitation, Dr. Jekyll ran back to the other lab, where his team continued testing cures on the virus.

“I found it!” He yelled as he burst through the metal doors that separated the rooms. Everyone turned to look at him in shock.

“James, are you serious?” Dr. Hyde asked with widened eyes.

“I’m positive! Quickly, everyone!” He yelled as he gestured to the room he ran from.

His team immediately got up and followed him to his lab as Dr. Jekyll explained what he had done. He showed them the results of his tests with each team member looking at the charred skin sample through the microscope.

“James…” Dr. Hyde said in shock. “This is incredible! But…” He continued, “How do you know if it truly works? I mean, this is only a skin sample after all.”

“Well, why don’t we test it out on an actual subject, George?” He responded.

Dr. Jekyll suited it in a hazmat suit and any protective gear they had within the lab. He brought with him a larger, more unconventional blow-torch and held it with both hands.

His team assisted him in unbolting the heavy metal door in which they trapped the creature that had attacked them before.

Dr. Jekyll’s heart rate sped up, as he wasn’t sure what to expect as they slowly opened the door.

He peeked his head inside the autopsy room to get a bearing on the situation. The first thing he noticed was the sludge. A thick brown sludge had coated all four walls of the room, and had even managed to land on the ceiling. The floor displayed small trails of the muck, exposing where the creature had walked to. All the metal cabinets within the room harbored heavy dents on their surfaces, as if the creature had attempted to escape the room in a violent struggle.

Dr. Jekyll slowly stepped through the door, his blow-torch up and ready for the creature’s attack. He examined the room, searching for where it might’ve gone. A small, fresh trail of sludge exposed where the creature went, which led him to large trash can within the back of the room. From behind the bin, a large, human sized brute sat, crouched down on the floor as sludge dripped from his body. As Dr. Jekyll approached it, the creature looked up and let out a sharp screech.

The sound startled the scientist as he took a step back. The creature stood up from its position and turned toward him, and then began to run, baring its small, sharp teeth as it continued shrieking.

In fear and desperation, Dr. Jekyll turned on his blow torch and blasted the creature as it stood a foot away from him.

The fire immediately began to charr the creature’s skin as it let out and ear-piercing scream. The room filled with the scent of burning flesh as he held the fire directly on the creature's body. Its skin began to disintegrate and turn to ash as the virus inside its body died out. Even as the creature attempted to get away, Dr. Jekyll held the blow torch firm into it. What seemed like congealed blood poured from the open wound the fire created. The brute only screeched louder as the fire reached its torso and disintegrated its lungs. Eventually, the flames reached its heart, in which the creature stopped screaming. As its body died, Dr. Jekyll continued blasting it with heat until there was nothing left except for a pile of charred ash and muck.

After the job was finished, he walked out of the room towards his team, who watched the event take place.

“Well, is that proof enough that it works, George?” He asked.

Dr. Hyde only nodded, a serious look on his face.

“Great, now let’s move out! We have some things to kill.” Dr. Jekyll yelled to his team.


	9. Piles of Ash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit

Henry ran until his lungs burned. He didn’t know how long it’d been, but he didn’t care. Tom remained in his arms, barely conscious due to the pain in his leg. His cut continued to pour out sludge, and the swelling hadn’t gone down.

“Don’t worry Tom… I’ll find help…” Henry whispered to him.

Just as Henry began to get desperate for something, anything to help Tom, the foliage in the forest began to clear. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he continued walking through it, hoping it meant something good.

Though his lungs still ached, he began to run again through the thinning trees. After a few moments, the forest cleared completely, and Henry found himself on a stone path. Although extremely confused, he began walking the path, knowing it meant that people may be nearby, people that could help. 

As a walked the stone path, in the distance, he saw houses. They looked quite similar to the house they had back at their village; made of stone with straw roofs, brick chimneys, and wooden doors.

Relieved to see signs of people, Henry mustered up the rest of his strength and ran the rest of the way there. As he reached what seemed like a small village, he dropped to his knees in exhaustion, still clutching Tom in his arms.

After a moment of heavy breathing, Henry stood up and walked over to a nearby tree.

“Hey, hey Tom?”

“...Yeah?...” Tom said as he stirred in his arms.

“I’m gonna go get help, okay? You stay here, by this tree, okay?”

Tom didn’t respond, but Henry set him down gently, propping him against the tree’s trunk. His eyes were closed as Henry got up and began to walk toward the village.

As the houses got closer, he began to call out.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” He yelled out in hopes of a response.

No one called back. In fact, the village seemed eerily quiet.

_ At this time of day, everyone in the village would be out by now. _ Henry thought to himself. 

As he walked into the center of all the house, he was hit by a horrible, but recognizable, smell. He plugged his nose as to not breathe in anymore of the stench, and that’s when he saw the blood.

All around him were smears and splatters of congealed blood and brown sludge all over the ground. It didn’t seem fresh, as it had turned a dark, rustic color by that point. But it didn’t help with the unbearable smell in the air.

“What the hell?!” Henry shouted to himself, horrified at the thought of what might’ve happened.

He began to run to the houses nearby and looked through the windows, hoping to find any survivors of whatever massacre went down at this village.

Sweat ran down his forehead as panic set in. Not only did Tom still need help, but now he was alone in what could’ve been a murder site.

He checked every single house that was in his vicinity, but no one was there. Everyone within the village seemed to have completely abandoned it.

_ Or maybe they were all killed. _ A morbid thought crossed his mind.

Just as Henry began to spiral, with hundreds of thoughts of what he could possibly do now speeding across his brain, a sudden noise startled him.

He jolted up and immediately turned around, perceiving the noise to be some sort of danger, and was in utter shock with what he saw.

Through another opening within the forest, three large white… animals?... ran into the center of the town, near where Henry was. He yelled in surprise as he ran behind a nearby house to get away, but suddenly, it seemed as though… people opened these weird creatures and jumped out of them. Henry stared in awe as these people, who wore the strangest clothing he’d ever seen, took out long, shiny, metal sticks and began to point towards the forest on the opposite side of the village.

“Hey, hey!” He called out to them.

As he began to walk toward them, they looked up and noticed his presence. As if surprised, they took a few steps back from him as he got closer.

“Who are you? Wh-what are you doing here?” One of the men asked.

“I’m Henry, I came with my friend to help our village. But please, you have to help, he’s hurt!”

The man who’d asked him the question turned to look at the other people with him, seemingly uncertain of what to do.

“Well, we’ll see what we can do. But right now, we have a bigger emergency on our hands.” He said after a moment.

“What’s going on? What happened here?” Henry asked them.

“We’re not exactly sure… But look, the things that caused this are still out there, and we need to stop them.” He said as he gestured to the metal object he held in his arms.

As the man began walking toward the forest in the back of the village, Henry called out.

“Wait! Let me help! If these things are the same ones that hurt our village, then…” he looked toward the direction of the tree he left Tom by, “...I want to stop them too.” He said as a serious look plastered over his face.

The man looked back toward his team as they nodded back at him.

“Well,” he said after a moment. “I hope you’ve got a good nose because we need to track these things down.”

Henry led them to the back of the village near the area he’d exited the forest.

“What makes you think they’re in there?” He asked the men.

“Well, eye witness reports claimed they came from the back of this town, from inside the forest. We’ve got reason to believe the source of whatever’s… making these creatures is right through there. We need to find the ones that are left and put an end to them.”

As soon as the man relayed this information to Henry, he remembered the plant he killed earlier, and the sludge that it pumped through the lake’s water.

“Uh, sir?” Henry said, hesitating slightly as he was unsure of what to call the man in front of him. “I think that the source of all of this may be some sort of… plant.”

The man stopped walking for a moment as he turned to look at Henry.

“How do you know?” He asked him.

“Because I killed it.” Henry responded.

“And what did you say your name was, young man?”

“Henry.” He answered.

“Dr. Jekyll, at your service.” The man answered back before continuing to walk ahead.

In all truth, he was a bit at awe that such a young man could’ve possibly taken care of the source of this convulsion.

After walking for a couple of minutes, they all came upon a small, familiar pond.

“This is it!” Henry exclaimed.

Near the dark, muck filled water were the remains of a grotesque looking plant, in which the stalk had been broken in half. Henry walked over to the dead stalk and pointed at it.

“This was it. This was the source.”

While Dr. Jekyll would’ve loved to question the young man on how he happened to discover such a plant, and about his involvement in this situation, something else beside the pond caught his attention.

Behind Henry, who was still crouched near the dead plant, was a small, but noticeable, trail of brown sludge. As he continued examining the plant he had killed earlier, Dr. Jekyll walked cautiously to the trail. It was made of the same muck that had poured out of the wounds of their autopsy patient.

“They went this way.” Dr. Jekyll said as he pointed in the direction the trail led in.

“It seems like it.” Henry responded as he nodded his head firmly.

“Does everyone have their blow torches ready?” Dr. Jekyll called back to his small team.

After getting confirmation, he looked back toward the trail of sludge.

“Alright then, let’s move out.”

The trail ran through a particularly thick part of the forest, and it was difficult to navigate through the dense foliage. Despite not seeing any signs of the creatures they were looking for yet, everyone was on edge. The hairs on the back of Henry’s neck stood up as his eyes darted around, looking for signs of any danger.

Suddenly, the trail of sludge began to thicken. Dr. Jekyll tensed as he gripped his blow torch tightly with both of his hands. Sweat began to bead at Henry’s forehead.

All of their noses were quickly filled by a repulsive smell, but it was one they’d all experienced before.

Then, they all heard the noises. 

Grotesque, raspy breaths, as if something was struggling to breathe, filled their ears. Whatever had been making those noises groaned heavily, as if it was in the midst of sheer pain. 

The team advanced slowly, knowing exactly what creature made such horrendous noise, as they prepared themselves for whatever came next.

Just as the forest began to thin, they saw a small opening of grass, as well as the very things they were searching for.

Within the opening were six of the most hideous and grotesque creatures they’d ever seen. They had small, sharp teeth within their horrifically large mouths. Pale, glazed eyes sat within their skulls and their skin oozed brown sludge from nearly every pore on their bodies.

Henry stepped back, startled by the appearance of what he could only describe as monsters.

However, without hesitation, Dr. Jekyll sprinted toward the creatures as he blasted his blow torch. His team followed closely after as they shot flames at the brutes. Immediately the forest was filled with the piercing shrieks and screams of the creatures that were burning alive before them. Their skin disintegrated and charred until it was nothing more than mounds of charr. Their bones crumbled under the flames and congealed blood and sludge spewed from their open wounds. Their lungs burst as the fire heated the oxygen within them. Yet they continued to scream. It wasn’t until their hearts burned and melted away that they finally stopped their shrieks, but the scientists weren’t done yet. Dr. Jekyll and his team continued to blast the creatures’ bodies until there was nothing left but ash and muck. Only then were they satisfied enough to turn off the heat.

Henry stood there speechless. He’d never been so terrified in his life, he felt as if his heart was going to burst.

Dr. Jekyll turned back and walked toward him, seeing his horrified expression.

“Don’t worry, it’s over. They’re gone now.” He said, trying to reassure him. Of course, he wasn’t completely sure that there weren’t anymore out there, but he couldn’t focus on that right now.

“Now,” He continued, still addressing Henry. “You said you had a hurt friend?”

Henry’s heart skipped a beat after being reminded of why he’d asked the Dr. for help in the first place.

“Oh god… Tom!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shiiiiiit


	10. Lazer Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost at the end! But also ahhhh

Henry had never run so fast in his life, the scientists behind him had trouble keeping up. His body filled with adrenaline as he raced to get back to the tree he left Tom at.

The were back at the edge of forest, and Henry could see the edge of the village. His legs began to burn, but he didn’t care. He ran even faster as he saw the back of the tree which Tom laid at.

Henry’s stomach dropped as he finally got to Tom.

Tom’s leg no longer looked human; the ooze which poured from his cut now gushed from every pore in his leg. The red streaks which sprouted from his wound had now reached up to his face, underneath his eyes. His entire leg was swollen and infected, and his breathing was shallow. Both of his eyes remained closed.

“Tom!” Henry yelled out, his voice seeped in panic.

Henry dropped to his knees and began to shake Tom’s body desperately as his head merely lulled to the side.

“Come on, Tom! Come on!” He cried out, a shake to his voice.

But Tom laid there motionless as his breathing came to a stop.

“No, no-no-no-no!” He bawled as he punched Tom’s chest.

Tears burned at Henry’s eyes and they furiously streamed down his cheeks.

“You can’t do this to me, please! I’m gonna kill you if you don’t wake up!”

Dr. Jekyll had finally caught up with Henry as he assessed what was happening.

“Henry, move aside, quickly!”

He got up and gave the scientist room as he tears continued to run down his face.

Dr. Jekyll check Tom for a pulse, and immediately began pumping his chest. He counted to thirty, and then blew into his mouth three times. After finding no pulse, he continued the cycle. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he desperately tried to revive him. On the fourth cycle, Tom’s heart came alive; though his pulse was weak, and his breathing remained shallow.

Dr. Jekyll knew what had to be done, but the thought of it made his blood run cold. He had never operated on anyone using fire, as he knew of its disastrous effects on a human body. But there wasn’t much time left, and he needed to save that young man.

Carefully, he took the hand-held blow torch which was still attached to his hazmat suit, and turn it on. The stream of flame was concentrated enough to burn through bone, so he began the operation.

He took Tom’s leg and began to cut through the joint within the knee. The air filled with the scent of burning flesh as the flame made its way through his leg; because proper preparations weren’t made, the skin above Tom’s knee began to blacken and charr. The fire eventually sliced through his joint, and continued onto the rest of the muscle.

After a few more minutes, Dr. Jekyll was done. The operation had been completed, and the source of the infection was gone.


	11. Golden Birch Trees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All abroad the sad train choo choo

Tom woke up to a familiar feeling bed, which it felt as if he hadn’t slept in in ages. Or at least, he thought he woke up. It was so dark in his room that he couldn’t see anything, so it almost felt as if he was still asleep.

_ It is the middle of the night? _ He asked himself.

Before he could wonder about why it was so unusually dark any longer, he heard the sound of his bedroom door bursting open. He felt startled until he heard a familiar and comforting voice.

“Tom! Oh my god, you’re awake!”

He felt the weight of Henry’s body press on his bed as he pulled Tom into a tight hug.

“Of course I’m awake, Henry! But what are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night, you should be asleep!”

Confused, Henry pulled away from Tom and stared into his eyes.

“Wait, what are you talking about? It’s the middle of the day, Tom...” He said hesitantly.

“What? Then why’s it so dark? Why can’t I...”

Tom trailed off mid-sentence as the realization smacked him in the face. His stomach dropped as a terrifying thought crossed his mind.

_ I can’t see. _

Panic filled his chest as he felt hot tears begin to well up in his eyes. Fearful thoughts and memories began to flash through his mind as his breathing quickened.

He’d never see Henry’s firm, but comforting face again. He’d never see those beautiful winter birds that perched the birch trees every time the seasons turned cold again. He’d never see the captivating silvery scales of the fish he caught every day again. He’d never see the trees around the village turn golden as the crops grew and ripened again. He’d never see the vibrant blue summer sky that complimented the Sun’s warm rays so beautifully again. And he’d never watch those pastel sunsets that came out so rarely with Henry, as they held hands and smiled and watched the sky turn black, ever again.

Tom’s face was drenched with tears as Henry slowly pulled him into another hug.

“I can’t see… Henry I can’t see…” He whimpered softly as more tears poured from his eyes.

“I know… I know, Tom…” He whispered as he held Tom tighter.

The two brunettes sat on his bed in silence as Tom sobbed into Henry’s shoulder

After what seemed like hours had passed, Tom’s tears had quelled as his crying had softened. Henry had pulled away from their hug as he looked out the window, surveying the brilliant blue sky.

“Hey, Tom.” He whispered very softly.

Tom stayed silent as his head hung low.

“The sky’s really blue today.”

Though he didn’t respond, Tom’s eyelids flickered, as if he was remembering the days where the Sun shined so vibrantly through that beautiful, diamond sky.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, the village mourned heavily. Ms. Becky’s husband had been killed through the previous weeks’ events, and Wendy’s son had been lost to the water’s infection. While everyone in the village gathered and helped them through their losses, the evenings were often filled with the wails of those who’d never see the comforting smiles of their loved ones again. Tom and Henry often went to visit both women as they retold comforting memories of the family they lost. Ms. Becky’s husband was always such a kind and gentle man, despite his size, and often caught injured squirrels and rabbits, only to heal them and release them back into the wild. And Baron had always been a bit of a troublemaker, but never once did he act out maliciously. His jokes and tricks worked to make everyone laugh, and his humor was always able to brighten the room. Now that they were gone, the village felt empty. Even the village children stayed indoors as they mourned the loss of their friend. It seemed as though even the Sun felt heart-broken, as it rarely shone within the sky at this point.

However, Dr. Jekyll continued to return to the village often to investigate and observe in order to ensure that the virus truly had been eliminated. His team had made routine visits to the village’s lake in order to remove any sludge an infection left within it. Dr. Jekyll watched the lake’s progression as the sludge had been done away with, and took many samples of the water back to his lab. Finally, he and his team removed any evidence of the source of this infection from the forest and took everything back to their laboratory as they worked tirelessly to investigate the origin of such a toxic plant.

As the Sun began to rise in the cool, damp morning, Henry’s eyes flickered open. He immediately got up and went to check on Tom, as he still couldn’t get up from his bed on his own. Since the infection, the village’s blacksmith had forged an entirely new leg for Tom. Though it functioned, it was difficult to get around in, so Henry always had to be there to help him walk.

He slowly opened the door to his bedroom, only to find Tom sitting over the edge of his bed, staring through the window within the room.

“Morning, Tom.” Henry said softly.

“Morning, Henry.” Tom responded. “I know I can’t see it, but I feel as if it’s a really nice day today.”

Henry turned his head and glimpsed through the window as well.

“Yeah, it really is.” He responded with a gentle smile.

Tom closed his eyes again. Henry stared at him for a moment, fondness seeping through his eyes.

“Hey, Tom, up for a lil’ fishing today?” He asked him cheerfully.

“Yeah, sure, why not?” Tom responded after a moment.

Henry began to walk over to him in order to help him stand up.

“Wait, no, don’t come over.” He said suddenly.

Confused, Henry took a step back and waited, not sure why Tom told him to stay away. But very slowly, Tom planted both hands onto to his bed, and carefully hoisted himself up into a standing position. He mustered all of his strength, and took a heavy step toward Henry. The process seemed the pain him, but he slowly made his way over, each step being harder than the last.

Finally, he stood a mere foot away from Henry. Henry had never smiled with such pride in his life.

“Tom! You’re-you’re walking!” Henry exclaimed.

“Yeah, yeah I am.” Tom responded, his voice beaming.

Henry ran into their main room as he grabbed their fishing poles off the wall. He handed one to Tom, as he put his arm around Henry’s shoulder for more support. They slowly walked out of their small stone house, and into the sunlight. Henry leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek as he smiled. The Sun’s bright rays felt warm on Tom’s face, as he heard the sweet singing of the birds that perched within the golden birch trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my story! I hope you enjoyed it! This was my first original story, so let me know what you thought! Thank you for your support, love ya : )


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